Every country needs a monarchy.
In Japan, the new emperor, Emperor Naruhito, was elevated to being the sovereign in May, 2019. The new era called “Reiwa” started at that time. In general, a new emperor will ascend to the throne after the death of his father. However, the former emperor, Emperor Akihito, decided to abdicate from the throne because of his health and advanced age. This was an unprecedented decision; however, Japanese people appreciated the significant contribution of Emperor Akihito so far and the Japanese government accepted his decision. For Japanese people, the replacement of Emperors means the end of an era.
As of now, there are 32 monarch countries including Japan in the participating countries of the United Nations. Most countries around the world were monarchies a hundred years ago. However, many countries abolished monarchies and turned into republics due to the influence of independent movements after World War II. There are two different types of monarchies: a Hereditary monarchy and an Elective monarchy. Both the UK and Japan are Hereditary monarchies; however, there is a big difference in the role of the monarch between the two countries. In the UK, the prime minister reports current political events and diplomatic issues to Queen Elizabeth once a week during Parliament, although the queen never intervenes in political issues. Whereas, in Japan, the Emperor is the symbol of Japan, and attends various ceremonies and visits welfare facilities and disaster areas.
The Japanese Empress Masako was a competent diplomat before she got married. She is proficient enough in not only the English language but also French, German, and Russian languages. Additionally, she has efficient etiquette through her experience of living in various countries. Therefore, her hospitality for important people from overseas is perfect and Japanese people are proud of her. Empress Masako develops a mental health problem after getting married; however, many Japanese people hope that she will demonstrate her abilities and hospitality on the diplomatic stage.
I think that jewellery is the best thing about being a royal. My reasons are…
1. Queen Elizabeth in the UK inherited a lot of jewellery. The most valuable jewel is a diamond called “Callinan”.
2. Princesses in the Japanese royal family are presented a tiara when they turn twenty years old.
3. Pearls are one of the symbolic jewels of Japan. Therefore, many royal family members put on pearl jewellery.